The last time I was sitting in an airport with 21 of my Duke teammates it was a very different vibe, to say the least. It was November and we were getting ready to board a long flight back to Durham after a devastating season-ending loss in the snow at Notre Dame. But fast forward seven months, and we are now sitting at the Miami International Airport anxiously waiting to board our plane to Rio!

As I sit here at the airport’s "Corona Bar & Grill" with tourists from all over the world, many of whom are traveling on my flight to Rio, I can't help but think about how lucky we all are to have an opportunity to travel to Brazil for the World Cup. And as my many teammates gradually made their way in, arriving on flights from all over the country, it occurred to me that I am more fortunate than most who are traveling to this special event. That’s because I have the opportunity to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with 21 of my best friends and coaches.

Our five-hour airport layover seemed more like five minutes as we caught up on the first few weeks of our summers, watched England take on Italy, discussed how excited we all are for this trip, and watched Matt Slotnick consume no fewer than three dinners, at last count. The feeling here is incredible. It is moments like these that I will never forget.

Because there is not much to write about on this first day of travel, I would just like to reiterate what Sean mentioned, and that is how thankful and appreciative we all are to have this opportunity. I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible and allowed us to experience a trip that I know we will never forget.

Stay tuned to hear how our eight-hour flight went and about our trip’s first day. And Happy Father’s Day tomorrow to all the dads out there.